A visit to La Romieu wouldn’t be complete without a spot of cat spotting? The charming Les Plus Beaux Village in northern Gers, also known as ‘the village of the cats’, is overrun with the four-legged felines, but don’t expect a symphony of purrs or a miaows as most are made of stone!

Curious creations

Wander around the central square or the outer roads and you’re sure to smile when you notice cute cats in a variety of classic poses, on windowsills and gate posts, roof tops and in between medieval stones. Most are the creations of Maurice Serreau, a French sculptor who on moving to the village in the 1990s decided to make them ‘just for fun’ in homage to a story that shapes the character of La Romieu and pulls in tourists from all over the world.

The ‘tail’ of Angeline and her rat-slaying cats

Some say it’s folklore others say it’s rooted in truth, but story has it that in the early 1300s, a drought swept across France and brought terrible famine. The villagers of La Romieu were starving and in sheer desperation, had resorted to eating cats. This horrified a little orphan girl called Angeline who loved cats and decided to hide two of hers in her attic.

An unlikely saviour with cat-like behaviour!

As the months went by, and now devoid of vermin catching cats, La Romieu became infested by mice, voles, rats and other scurrying creatures that brought disease and destroyed the diminishing food supplies.

The village was in a sorry state and so Angeline, whose two cats had bred many kittens, revealed her secret. Seeking a solution, the villagers agreed that she should release the cats to ‘do their thing’ which quickly solved the problem.

With the village duly saved, the unlikely little heroine continued to keep and breed cats and it is said, that such was her passion and love for her furry friends, that she began to act like a cat and develop cat-like features.

In honour of Angeline herself, Maurice created a ‘cat’ statue of her. You can see it in the main square opposite a restaurant and chambre d’hote called L’Etape d’Angeline!

The statue of Angeline stands in watch across the village square

Further nods to the charming story and distinctive character of La Romieu, are ceramic wall plaques which can be seen displayed outside every resident’s property. Created by a local potter and ceramicist who has shop under the medieval arches, the pastel coloured plaques have paw prints and imprints of cats on them.